Mermay Special Prompt 3
“Are you kidding? No one goes to Gotham, that place is like,” Aquaman made a motion with his hand, a not-quite grimace on his face. “Like things should not be living in the water, like it should be impossible, and things should be dead, but they aren’t and it’s like, like the equivalent of an undead apocalypse over there!”
Bruce rolled his eyes behind his cowl, taking a sip of his coffee as the others continued drinking. Socialize, they said, it’ll be fine they said. Well excuse him, but the waters weren’t that bad. Sure there were always dumped bodies, and chemicals from the rogue attacks, but it was far worse at one point.
One thing he’ll always be relieved for is how the… curse (thank you broken statuette back in the beginning of his vigilante career that fused with the other many curses of Gotham) made the people of Gotham actually care about the waters around them.
Though also, he couldn’t help but thank anything that might be listening for the fact that the curse only interacted with Gotham waters, because losing legs with any risk of a drop of water would be downright annoying.
“No dude, you don’t understand, no one goes there for a reason! That shit is horrific- someone saw a big thing with bits of rebar stabbed straight through it and still chased after a big alligator-thing!” Oh. Oh that had been him. Oops. Hopefully his kids didn’t find out about this, but they were probably already on the cameras. Dammnit.
😂
I like the idea that each of them is very much not a normal fish but they have parts that are similar to some. Like, 90% cryptid, 10% normal fish.
Joker has a bit of a pufferfish and lionfish vibe (being two extremely poisonous fish)
Bruce has to be a weird mix of shark and whale or something, just a scary but nice fish mixed with a looks nice but will kill you mammal.
Dick is a flying fish just cause it's funny, not sure what the other might be tho
... Duke has angler fish
Ideas for the others?
Vibrates. Welcome to the unskippable cutscene. And of course this is just the closest some can recognize, doesn't mean it's exact. Like the lovecraftian description of it looked like (blank) but Not. :) Love that shit.
Joker definitely has vibes similar to a pufferfish and lionfish- and lionfish are incredibly invasive, which makes perfect sense with him. Very much green and white and purple colors, even if it's mostly muted. Maw more like a gulper-eel. B i g smile.
Harley deserves a hint of clownfish in patterning, and with a tail that's a mixture of a fish and an octopus of some sort. Mass of tendrils and bright bioluminescence that can make it look like a giant maw in the dark waters.
Ivy? Eel vibes. But like a mass of writhing eels and kelp, maybe a hint of leafy sea dragon when it comes to fin-shape. You can't tell if it's thrashing kelp or a creature twisting towards you until it's too late. Maybe a hint of stonefish vibes too.
Selina, I think catfish when it comes to whiskers and such. But? Give her hagfish vibes too. Slips through cracks and absolutely horrifying maw of teeth.
Bruce, you are so right in shark and whale vibes, but let me add in Manta Ray. Not only the smartest fish (at least thought to be currently) but also gives him his cape and cowl vibes even in the water. Rows of teeth like a shark, large maw of a whale all melding together on something vaguely humanoid.
Flying fish Dick is so right. Hint of sailfish too with the big fin being where he has most of the bioluminescence. But there's something off when you look closer, specklings that could be patterns or could be eyes, no one knows.
Anglerfish, yes. Duke deserves tendrils upon tendrils of glowing biolumnescent lures. But for extra spook? Deep sea spider vibes too. Limbs just a hint too long, scales shifting more into some sort of chitinous plates.
Jason? Give him a hint of jellyfish, (yes mostly for the immortal jellyfish but also the fact that at a distance it could look like innards of something) and frilled shark, and just a hint of lobster. A fish-esque body surrounded by stinging tendrils and skittering legs to dig through the sand.
Honestly, Cass also deserves jellyfish vibes, but instead? Blanket octopus or vampire squid. Tendrils that connect with sinews of flesh into a shadowy mass full of teeth. If you want jellyfish though? Comb jelly.
Tim. Now Tim is fun. Guppy and dolphin are his main inspirations, with teeth like needles. Looks friendly until you get closer enough to see the details. Maybe a hint of barreleye for fun.
Stephanie has viperfish vibes when it comes to the face and just how long her tail is. A bit of Frogfish too, with fins that are something between that and hands tipped in claws, and perhaps some deep sea skate.
Damian has a hint of scorpionfish, combined with lanternfish. Some stingray vibes too, including the stinger- even if it's more akin to a blade- in the tail.
Barbara also has a whale vibe, albeit probably smaller than Bruce's. Some searobin vibes when it comes to fin shape and maybe patterns, if not in color. Arms and fingers too long compared to the rest of her body.
Which Commissioner Gordon! Definitely has some dogfish vibes in body shape, maybe a hint of pleco or similar with spines a bit too thick. Maybe even a bit of walrus vibes when it comes to his mustache and with tusk-like fangs.
Riddler? I bet he has the most ridiculously colored or shaped fish, or the most normal at first glance, and there's no inbetween. He needs a long tail that he can curl into a question mark.
Scarecrow has to be the most horrific combination of deep sea abominations that would give heart attacks to anything other than another Gothamite at a glance.
Killer Croc still has crocodile vibes, of course. Maybe some knifefish vibes but otherwise Very heavily armoured from scales and scutes alone.
Mr Freeze? Give this man seal vibes- maybe mixed with some narwhale but jagged ice spikes. Body like a frozen corpse, bits partially see-through like chunks of ice.
I have so many thoughts :)
Also for those curious about aberrations:
Aberrations are mutated variants of fish in DREDGE that are more difficult to find than their "normal" counterparts. They are described by t
I love ALL of this
🤩
Also, yes Dunkle but also he's the Lock Ness Monster of Gotham 😂
Oh yes. Mix dunkleosteus and oarfish and a bit of mackerel-esque patterning along with some plesiosaur vibes (and general WTF). Multiple flippers and too-long limbs and maybe neck. (also have bruce sketch)
😂
Love it
Soooo many teeth 🤩
And yeah, just imagine him showing up at JL post-reveal having forgotten to unbraid his hair and it's still got shells in it. Or maybe no reveal and he accidentally shows up to a business meeting with Ollie or Lex with his hair all done up.
Bruce accidentally starts a Gotham fashion trend because that's their himbo billionare who they adore. He's their funky lil guy! And they will go Rabid if Luthor or Queen makes even One snide remark.
Gosh imagine pre-reveal Bruce getting injured and having to take off the cowl (he definitely has a domino under there) and the JL get treated by this man somehow fitting long-ass hair with braids of shells and stones and other similar items beneath said cowl. The longer the hair the funnier it is really lol.
Even funnier is if this has happened with other bats and their teams too. (How old are the kids? Who knows, aging is Weird in Gotham, all anyone knows is they're young enough to still live at home and be in school if some didn't drop out)
Young Justice? Treated to sunglasses-mcgee Robin with a french braid with bits of mutated dead coral and literal pearls. And the mans sees nothing wrong with it! They're having their bi awakening right in front of him and he don't care! Dude!
Teen Titans? So many different styles. They've seen Nightwing with a bun, ponytail, plait, you name it, they've probably seen him with it. Because no matter how much he and Bruce might fight, they always will return to sitting next to each other and silently braid each other's hair in apology.
Vibrates. OH you are Speaking My Language.
There definitely is associated meanings with each item, not unlike flower language. Even the type of shell or color of a pearl shows different things. It's all grown with time, spreading from not just them, but to other people in Gotham too.
But oh my god yes, Jason was definitely buried with so many things. Hair braided with such care that is visible even with what each family member chose to give. (God I bet Bruce gave him some of Martha's pearls too)
Jason and Damian deserves to be brothers (and yes, good Mom Talia (she's just also morally complex and was raised in a cult) and he definitely shows tiny Damian how to braid his own hair. (God the image of his casket is- I love it)
Gosh, Jason like, after his Pit dip? He's going to be so startled when he feels Gotham's waters again and ah. His Form is suddenly Much Larger, more like Bruce's size than the tiny guppy he was before. How fun :)
Love the idea of aspects sometimes leaking through in Gotham. It is a very wet and swampy area. Lmao, the idea of them all looking dry outside of the city is great.
PFFT, they can drink through their skin (or that's what it looks like) and that's great for pranking I bet. Bet they've all pulled a no one will ever believe you or a when was the last time you slept.
So much like Father like Son when Jason gets back, and when Damien joins.
And yeah, Martha's pearls 🥺
What if Bruce has most of the ones left saved away with plans to leave 1 pearl each to his children if (when, he hopes) he dies before them? Not that it'll be anytime soon, there's a reason why no one in Gotham seems to age, they're like the Fae of Atlantis or something.
What if everyone in Gotham who gets married uses earrings and such?
...
Didn't Bruce have a kid with Sel? Baby guppy 🥺😍
Do you think Talia would ever willingly go through the whole 'all but down to join my beloved and the family in their swims'? What do you think she'd look like?
Also, I am always like 75/25 on 'good but crazy and morally grey Grandpa'. Mostly because animal lovers but still. If course this usually forgoes the whole spleen thing, but really depends on where we want to go with this.
(Talia and Selina bond over talking about rare cats, Bruce likes listening in sometimes)
Speaking of Tim, I kinda wanna laugh at the idea that his parents were out of Gotham when the curse happened. I don't like them being outright abusive or abandoning but I do like them taking trips, so now I'm imagining them not wanting to get in Gotham's water but really they're the odd ones out now so Tim half-joins early (Just before Jason leaves?) as a partial ward. IE, Bruce makes sure his sea needs are met while the Drakes handle the rest.
(he's like, what, 8 here? 10?)
Tim and Jason get on like a house on fire because of everything going on but, when Jason dies, Tim goes missing for like half a week (Bruce ain't doin very well, grieving and trying to find Tim). He brings back some shells he knew Jason liked that are hard to find, and maybe a few scars for his troubles (this is nothing compared to when Bruce gets lost in time though, Tim will be even worse then)
Back to uncanny valley and pranking people, the entire Batfam are sillies. But also, someone managing to touch them, whether they're missing a glove or something or not? That's gonna be like weird ass paper skin nto them. Not to mention they seem like their mouths open almost too wide sometimes... or their eyes almost seem to glow (it's a trick of the white lenses, right? But, then, what about the freckles?)
Do you think any of them are siren-esque? Even speaking their voices draw you in, singing it's even worse, and be careful near the waters, though it's never very strong until their forms have given way. I vote that Damien has a tiny bit of this, with this voice mimicry, which means maybe it's something he gets from Bruce?
Who on the JL do you think is first to figure it out? On one hand Aquaman seems funny in a 'they're not just human uncanny they're fish uncanny and he can tell a twisted sea touched them' or if it should be someone else.
Oh man, siren-esque could be fun. I don't think it's like, straight up hypnotizing, but I bet their voices and sounds carry. (Also love the idea of various levels of noise mimicry) Bet their voices catch your attention immediately. Bet it's some mix of huh that's weird/pretty and something about that is Not Right/Predatory.
You know what? I bet the whole prank is going to end in the batkids reveal. Well. More like a reveal of surprise, we're a family >:D I mean, Red Hood definitely gets revealed to the league and hero teams after they end up catching him & Batman comes storming in because his Baby Boy-
Gosh I love them having bioluminescent freckles (what if they act similar to heat pits or the pores sharks have to sense electrical currents in the water) that sometimes flicker or reflect light.
Also, Tiny Tim! Tiny Tim in the pool learning how to swim- oh my god they need to learn how to swim twice (in both forms)- and getting to be part of the family is great! Oh my god I bet Bruce will nap on his back in the water and hold his babies like an otter.
And he definitely has a pearl saved for each of his children, that's not even a question. Bet Alfred has one as well. (Jason definitely cries when he recognizes it among the things he'd been buried with.
And yeah, in some continuities Selina and Bruce have a daughter, Helena. (Love how this implies he's in a healthy poly or open relationship lol)
Bet if Talia does get affected by the curse her appearance is influenced by the Lazarus Pits. Bet she has some bright green bioluminescence that matches the pits near exact. Some pike vibes and some shark or snapper too. Long and predatory.
Her and Selina definitely talk about different felines, you're so right. Ras is like, the most violent hippie grandpa lol. A little insane, very enthusiastic (mans is so emotional in the comics idk wtf people are doin in the fanfics lol) and probably is celebrating Talia and Bruce getting back together officially. I mean, he did want Bruce as his heir and now he's sort of getting that. It's close enough for him! He's the crazy rich you don't usually talk about in public but who always sends the wildest gifts for holidays.
Oh my god I bet the kids all have big fish plushies that's like the same size as them to cuddle with that are scented. Mostly for like, if they're injured and Bruce says no to shifting (some injuries definitely could be made worse if you're literally moving and changing around ones bones and other organs)
I bet the first to figure it out? Martian Manhunter or Superman. Bet one of the kids or even Bruce lets a thought slip (purposely or accidentally) about how this is going to be so freaking funny, don't ruin this it's hilarious, plz- And Superman has memorized Bruce's heartbeat. Now I don't know if something like that would change with forms, but I wouldn't be surprised if it would since lungs and such would too thanks to now being amphibious.
You're so right in Gotham being something like lovecraftian cryptids and fae towards atlanteans. Bet the batkids (and their Gothamite friends, you can't tell me Duke doesn't keep in contact with his We Are Robin movement, mans founded that shit) make it even worse on purpose. Mimics sounds and calls passing atlanteans over, inviting them into the deathly waters that is surely pure poison to the creatures of the sea. They're having fun >:)
I love ALL of this. 🤩
Maybe that's why Bruce is so good at getting the JLs attention during meetings, also why his kids are good with their teams. Like, yeah they've learned how to lead and such, the siren-esque just makes things easier outside of Gotham. Altho they've also learned to control their voices some, Bruce forgoes speaking in part because he doesn't like talking and in part because his voice is stronger so he has to work harder to make it easier on others.
Oh gods I love those. Just, Hood getting kidnapped by the league (oh no) and Bruce storming in. The league did notice he has his hair braided like a lot of gothamites with long hair, but of course they aren't privy to what the different shells and other items mean. Speaking of which, he certainly prides himself on the items from his family, but he's got a few smaller ones that the various crime alley kids have given him.
Bruce storms in, ignores as many protocols as he can (even if that means making his voice stronger to avoid questioning until later), and then he's just gone. Doesn't show up at the station for a week maybe after that and his team is trying to contact him. Nightwing and RR are also 'missing' for a week after they find out.
Okay that's cool, in that murky water sensing heat could be really important for avoiding collisions but also catching prey (or at least enemies) an it'd look cool.
Oh my gods yes to all of that paragraph. Tim is at least a year or two younger than he was when he originally joined, and now I'm imagining the Drakes show up to collect him for a while, and Bruce is just death grip asleep while the kids he was able to fit in his hold either try to struggle free or nap with him. Imagining Timmy got his photography from his mom, she almost definitely gets a pic.
Yeah, everyone he's close enough to gets a pearl, especially the kids and Alfie, and it's Jason's most precious decoration for his hair when he comes back to life. Takes great pride in it and all that.
I'm just over here imagining that Selina is following the normal doc advice of swimming to relieve pregnancy pain when, oop, out comes a guppy, whoops (obviously not as smoothe but imagining her born in guppy form instead of baby).
Bruce is mildly stressed because there was little warning, Selina was literally only going to swim for a little while before coming back to the cave, now he's got to swim out to her when he hears her keen (imagining they can make sounds that are similar to normal marine animals but Off somehow, plus each one has a slightly unique tonal underlay or something). Thankfully, Hel is as healthy as one can be when their first 'breath' is nasty water, and they quickly take her to land. She may or may not struggle shifting to land form on her own, but her parents can help for now.
Yesss. If Bruce is 'predator who is a cinnamon roll' Talia is 'predator who will actually kill you'. And looking like the pits? That's awesome. In fact, what if Jason and Damien have vague pit vibes because of their dips?
I kind Ras when he's not painted at uber crazy. I mean he's still crazy but not asylum level. He's constantly bringing the grandkids gifts, doing the most unhinged activities with them, and he definitely set up a party for Bruce and Talia (no one is really sure if it was originally going to be a wedding and he decided not to force them or if he just did an over the top get together event because he can).
Yeah, only the best care for the kids (Bruce quietly ignores that Alfie got him one as well until he forced into bed rest).
Now I'm just imagining that Supes is in Gotham because of Lex or something else and he goes from hearing Bruce's heart out by the bay to just... not. Like, there's something almost similar there, but it's not Bruce's beat. Obviously he rushes to see what happened to his friend, and Bruce is now in 'oh fuck' mode because now he's gonna have to swim to the cave to get out of the water and hope Superman doesn't follow. (He doesn't but as soon as he hears Bruce's heart again he's rushing to check on him and may or may not find him mid shift).
Yesss. Let the kids play, and let Gotham just be horrible Lovecraft cryptid fae. They almost feel that way to regular outsiders, but it's Even Worse for atlanteans, especially when they're shifted. Adding mimicry and siren style voices just makes it even worse.
1, they still have gills as humans (on their sides) so if they swim untransformed in other water they're fine, 2, if they're still underwater they don't shift back even if they leave Gotham waters, they just might struggle a bit to swim but transform back upon surfacing, or 3, both of the above.
Guppy Damien 🤩 (they're probably considered guppies until they're like 10 tbh). And yeah, Jason loves Damien even if he can't remember his interactions with him when he was still not quite there.
Also, Jason loves his dad but he's a drama nerd so he returns first, takes Joker's old name as minor revenge on the bastard, and then has a grand old time pranking his dad among other things. When Damien and Talia show up, that's when he reveals himself by going all brotherly. Also, he wears the hood partially because of the name and also to hide his hair initially because he's still got his burial items, ah he just shows up sans Red Hood outfit, hair on display, with a few new items from Talia and Damien, and everyone but those three freak out 😂
And yeah, Ra's LOVES Gotham, despite the environmental hazards (which are basically becoming an entirely new kind of unnaturally natural habitat) he pretty much makes it just favorite vacay spot (his family being there is a big bonus).
I think it'd be hilarious if the Talons were unaffected because the curse only effects the actual like living, any talons created after the fact can transform but those created before are land locked. The court as long as they're living is fine tho. Although maybe the first ones get gills at least? Be kinda funny if that's all they got.
Oh I have ideas.
If the Court, or at least several of them, leave Gotham a bit to try and avoid the curse, what with their pride at their 'breeding' (yuck) and genetics. One of the first things they'll see, at least at galas, is the bumbling idiot Wayne. Only... only not. Oh there's still a clumsiness, but now there's an underlying sense of predator. His head snaps towards them, alongside several other of the rich who stayed, nostrils almost flaring like they're hunting them. And then they smile, and it's not with human teeth. Yknow. They deserve to freak out the 'clutching their pearls and gasping' court bastards.
Wheeze, Superman is staring wide-eyed and Bruce is just, "I can explain" over the sounds of literal cracking bones and organs shifting around to fit once more in a smaller body that has legs. The kids will never let him live it down that he's the first one caught of all of them. Or, Bruce could pull the innocent confusion of, "What do you mean? Everyone can do this???" when Clark freaks out.
And the Gotham-vigilantes just going missing for a full week or so after the JL grab what they think is a Gotham crime lord in one of their cities is hilarious. I bet the only response if they try to reach out is "Don't talk to us, we're mad," the bats completely forgetting that they didn't inform anyone about Jason. They also might be trying to convince Talia to not go up and give the JL a piece of her mind. With a weapon. And a few shadows. Meanwhile Jason is laughing at the situation until he gets smothered in a cuddle pile- in both forms. C'mon guys, he's not a lil guppy anymore, you can let him go now...
I bet there's a whole thing with what proper terms are for everyone. (Gotham biologists are in heaven, and Outsiders are befuddled why Gotham has so many marine biologists with how horrible the waters are) Bet it's something like, a newborn is a pup, a toddler (so up to the age of 3) is a fry, a guppy is up to the age of 10, a polyp is to the age of 13, 14 to 17 is a calf, and 18 to 20 is whelp. Though I bet that's just the official terms and people still also just call kids guppies. Similar to how people also refer to teens and toddlers as kids.
I like the option of 3. Both of the above lol. Means they don't instantly transform if they accidentally leave Gotham's waters if they're a bit focused on chasing something, but also has the amusing thing of Gothamites just being... immune to Outsider mobs or otherwise trying to do the whole submerged with cement trick lmao.
Love the Jason reveal, he was such an easy kid that he decided it was his turn to give their dad some gray hairs. He was not expecting that once it's confirmed to be him for everyone to practically bury him under a crying pile of family. Yes this includes Bruce.
You are so right about Ras doing the wildest things with the kids. He indulges them. Look, he's not always the best father, but he's a great grandfather. Absolutely spoils them all.
Lmao, Luthor is in Gotham for a gala because he's heard rumors through the less than legal pipeline of information that the Al Ghuls are doing something in Gotham. So he goes for one of the business galas. (Mans is gonna be so shocked lol) This is also how Clark (& every other outside reporter) learns that Bruce Wayne has two wives. (Bruce, enjoying being Brucie sometimes for the lols, innocently shrugs when questioned & mentions how his parents were poly too. "Why do you think Alfred got custody and not the Kanes???")
Oh my gosh yeah, some definitely would be born in their aquatic forms. (Being bigger on average probably does help with the whole carrying a whole ass baby not be so painful) Bet there's specific bassinets for those who might have trouble shifting to their legged form. Similar with NICUs for those born too early or with medical issues, there's definitely specialty wards for if someone is born in an aquatic form with those issues.
Thankfully lil Helena is a healthy baby. Just needed some comfort to stop crying when she was carefully taken from the water and shifted into suddenly having legs and no scales or anything. They probably called Leslie to double check before doing so of just in case she might've had an unseen issue, but thankfully she's safe to go back to being a (Gotham edition) human.
Pfft, imagine the JL noticing Batman is in a good mood at some point (not quite smiling, but he's humming under his breath as he works and it's hard not to notice with how attention-calling it is) And they unlock the unskippable cutscene of Batman talking about his newborn whose so tiny and had the pudgiest lil face and the smallest lil hands and a tiny wisp of hair and the biggest hazel eyes ever- (She's listed as having blue or brown depending on the comic so)
Y'know I bet that the Waynes & Al Ghuls give off Addams family vibes. And to Gothamites it's adorable and romantic and look how in-love they are <3<3 Meanwhile Outsiders are so shocked and confused as to why they're married? Or stay in the family? Like yeah, no one knows their ages, but surely one of them must be old enough to move out by now?? (Dick, who has been 20 for the last several years, laughs. Legally he's an adult but for a Gothamite nah, he's staying with his Pod... School... Pack... whichever one refers to it as, might depend on the area of Gotham)
I bet the wedding when it did happen was glorious. Bet Ras went all out, because that was an excuse to do so, and I bet Alfred helped. They're both exchanging looks of Finally! They definitely do a mixture of culture. So many different things, with Gothamite traditions and Arabic and some that aren't even practiced anymore. Reporters try to get in at one point but they're not letting anyone ruin this.
The pictures they post do turn out beautiful, of course. Bet their hair was braided with so many shells and pearls and flowers and everything else.
LMAO, Bruce is definitely, Looks like could kill you, is a cinnamon roll. Selina is, Looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll. And Talia is Looks like could kill you, Will kill you. The kids are happy for them until they also start doing the otter thing. Now they can hold All the Kids and There's No Escape. Please, they wanna mess with the League & passing Outsiders-
May I bribe you for more lore with art?
Dick!!
Vibrating. I can be bribed yes.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I LOVE EVERYTHING!!! Especially the art!
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Does the curse effect anyone who moves *into* gotham? Even if they didn't have any ties originally? If it does, does it effect them the same? (I saw damian being effected, but he's *half* gothamite courtesy of his father. Or we could argue that due to being conceived in gotham that was enough time for the curse to sink into him and then wait until activation on his near drowning)
But what about those that aren't from there? Who have no ties in their past or family. Who move there for work or school, or because their parents do.
Does it take time? Does it start as an itch. A feeling of no longer fitting in your skin when it rains, skin spotting and changing colors with contact but disappearing when dry so you can shake it off as a trick of the light. The longer you're there the more contact you have, the more you come to understand the sounds you hear in the night and rain. The whispers begin to call to your soul and you find yourself making aborted gestures and noises in response. And then there are feelings. Words. The odd sounds you could brush off as rain hitting the odd structures of Gotham now have meaning. And you find your eyes lingering on the local waters and spot the shadows and flickering lights within.
...think the various bioluminescence (however you spell that) could be tied to tales of will-o-the-wisps? Stories that spread out of Gotham that sound odd. 'Don't follow the lights of Gotham, they'll leave you lost and changed' or something.
YES YES YES ALL THE YES
I love all this 🤩
Very much spooky and Cryptid
Ohohoho. I am weak to local myths and legends and the locals themselves being cryptids to outsiders.
I feel like part of the curse is accepting Gotham as your home. Those just there for work or temporarily continue to think everything else is fucking crazy. Very feeling like they're in uncanny valley central.
Those that start to feel Gotham is their home start to have the effects you mentioned, like the city and water is calling to them. Not many people permanently move to Gotham, but those that do don't move away either.
Some leave as children, parents terrified of the changes in their child, but the waters will always call them back. They'll find their way back to the city one way or another, when their skin becomes unbearable, when their mind nearly goes mad with forever staying on land. There's tales that warn to not bring your child to the city, whispers of changelings, of curses and poisons that will forever effect them.
Meanwhile Gotham is just violently vibing, and I think that's hilarious.
Oh my god I bet there's designated swim times during school, especially for the younger kids who might not be as used to sitting there for hours at a time. Bet Outsiders would be confused when looking online and it shows that schools in Gotham have two PE periods.
Also, have these tags by @internet-m0m who is so very right when it comes to when the JL finally find out about the Gotham water curse lmao.
I bet the goons who work at the docks get paid so well because they have a high chance of falling in the water and ruining their clothes. Because I bet most clothes- unless specially made and probably a little expensive- don't transform. Pants would definitely be destroyed. (I wonder if skirts are popular in Gotham lol)
This could lead to different fashion trends, with everyone having long hair and wearing loose super stretchy clothes and things like skirts, it's not too much of a leap to say they abandoned gender norms. Dresses can't be girly if everyone wears them, long hair can't be a girl thing if everyone has long hair, everything is for everyone and they will cut you if you insult their outfits
